


Just Two Normal Blokes

by Introvertedintellect350



Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: Dancing, Fluff, M/M, One Shot, POV Thomas Barrow, Romantic Fluff, Thomas is finally allowing himself to relax and enjoy himself for once
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-28
Updated: 2019-10-28
Packaged: 2021-01-04 17:47:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21201608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Introvertedintellect350/pseuds/Introvertedintellect350
Summary: In which Richard finds Thomas in the kitchen courtyard during the ball for the king and queen, and requests a dance of his own.





	Just Two Normal Blokes

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Français available: [Juste deux hommes normaux](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21251777) by [almayen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/almayen/pseuds/almayen)

Even outside in the kitchen courtyard, Thomas could hear the lively music of the ball going on in the Abbey. Part of him wished he could join, and the other part of him still felt irked that Carson had taken over his position at Downton. Didn’t he deserve that role? Hadn’t he been running Downton well enough? Surely he could handle the king and queen visiting. He had to admit, however, that having the week off had had its benefits. His lips twitched upward slightly as he recalled the fierce, overwhelming joy he’d felt dancing with Chris at the club - another man - and hadn’t gotten persecuted for doing such. That wasn’t to discredit the police raid and having spent an evening in a jail cell, but the way Richard had reacted after he’d bailed him out had left him rather hoping for more. He hadn’t felt so hopeful about a man in quite some time, and it was a nice feeling.

Taking a drag on his cigarette, Thomas looked up at the sky dotted with stars. What he was searching for, he didn’t know.

“Ah, I was told you’d be out here,” spoke a voice from the doorway to the kitchens.

Thomas turned, startled, nearly dropping his cigarette. It was Richard, with a smooth smile on his face.

“Who was it that told you?” Thomas asked, returning his smile and taking another drag on his cigarette.

“None but me and my intuition,” Richard stepped out of the light of the doorway and over to him, leaning against the crates which Thomas standing near. He plucked the cigarette from between his teeth and placed it between his own, eyebrows quirking upwards as their gazes held. Thomas was hyper aware of their proximity to each other, and should someone see. . .

“What d’you suppose they’re doing in there?” Richard asked, glancing back towards the house then back at him, handing the shrinking cigarette back.

“Dancing, socializing, drinking champagne.” Thomas shrugged. “I’ve worked here long enough, I know what a ball’s like.”

“But never with the king and queen around,” Richard replied. “Surely being a footman-”

“True enough,” he conceded. “But I’m the butler of this household, not a footman.”

Brows creasing slightly, Richard cocked his head sideways. “Then shouldn’t you be up in that ballroom, announcing the names of those who’ve arrived?”

“Lord Grantham and Lady Mary decided I wasn’t fit to run the house while the king and queen were visiting, so Mr. Carson has come back temporarily.” Shaking his head, Thomas took one last long drag, then dropped and stepped on the dying cigarette.

“You deserve that position, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t say I wasn’t grateful you’ve had time away from the house.” Richard replied, winking.

Looking up from the ground, Thomas met his gaze. “Are you implying you standing me up at the pub in York and then bailing me out of jail was your ideal way to spend an evening with me?”

Giving a deceivingly casual shrug, Richard smiled, “Well, I wouldn’t put it quite that way...”

“Then what way would you put it?”

“I enjoyed what came after. Our conversation on our way back to the Abbey. Such as you said, it’s nice to just be two normal blokes.”

“Yeah,” Thomas agreed, smiling a bit. “Just two normal blokes.”

There was a pause for a few moments and neither man said anything, simply gazing around, occasionally meeting the others gaze. Thomas was tuned into two things: the music streaming through cracked windows, and Richard, the way he kept looking at him. Finally the silence, which was beginning to turn a bit awkward, broke.

“Do you know how to dance?”

“ ‘Course I know how to dance.” Thomas scoffed lightly. He’d been raised proper, and could waltz as well as swing.

Standing upright and holding out his palm, Richard asked, “Would you care to?” At his hesitation, he continued, “Everyone in the kitchens is busy, no one will see.”

The music was lively and perhaps it was Thomas wanting another taste of what he’d had in the club not so long ago, or the fact that Richard was grinning at him so, but he stood and took his hand, squeezing tightly once before loosening his grip to adjust to Richard wrapping his other arm around his waist while Thomas’s other hand went to his shoulder, and let the music take the lead.

It felt as if he’d been meant to do this, it came so naturally. He and Richard danced around the courtyard with enthusiasm, following the beat of the music. His heartbeat sped up at their movement and the nearness of the man guiding him around with a wide grin and energized step. It took Thomas only a minute to relax into the rhythm and in between the intermittent lights and shadows cast on Richard’s face, he met and held his gaze. There was a knot of tension in his stomach at the thought of being caught, but the only thing on his mind was how right it felt to be dancing in his arms. Around and around they danced, swinging away, then back together. Richard tripped, once, but with a firm grip on his hand and another around his waist, Thomas caught him.

Some minutes later they slowed, out of breath but not letting go. If anything, Thomas pulled Richard in closer as they began to waltz. He could feel his heart beating rapidly against his own chest, and as they stepped in tempo to the gradually changing music, the mood shifted when their eyes met once again. There was a palpable tension between them, he could feel it, in their heaving breathes and mussed hair and lingering gazes. His eyes flickered, once, to Richard’s lips, and the tension became something else entirely as Richard leaned in and kissed him, hands moving to cup his cheek and pull him closer. Without thinking, Thomas reacted, kissing him back with the same urgency as he felt, wanting nothing more than for this moment to drag on.

Richard pulled away first, both breathing heavily, and Thomas leaned in slightly to the hand still on his cheek, allowing himself to be held. Words needn’t be spoken, so they stood there, embracing, until there was a sudden noise from the opposite end of the courtyard, in the direction of the kitchens entrance, and his heart was in his throat.

Thomas jumped away, his cool mask of indifference slipping on as he smoothed his hair and stood facing the doorway, hoping desperately whoever was coming through the doorway hadn’t seen them.

Carson appeared as the door opened and warm light flooded the courtyard. “Ah, there you are.” He nodded towards Richard, “The king is requesting your assistance. Apparently, he needs a new shirt. I was told something got spilled on it.” He glanced between Thomas and Richard, looking slightly puzzled.

“Smoke break.” Richard explained.

Thomas glanced over at him, realizing he’d somehow been able to produce two cigarettes and a lighter in seconds to explain their proximity to each other.

“I see.” Carson nodded, turning to walk back inside. “You’ll find him in his room, Mr. Ellis.”

“I’ll be there right away,” Richard answered, nodding and beginning to follow him into the house. As Carson walked back into the kitchens and out of earshot, he paused and turned to look back at Thomas with a small, knowing smile, and lifted a finger to his lips.

Returning his small smile, Thomas nodded. “Just two normal blokes.”


End file.
